WOMEN ALB WORLD OF SWITZERLAND BRINGS WOMEN’S RIGHTS DIALOGUE TO CANADA
Organization launches its first Canadian event, bringing together Albanian women to discuss key challenges facing the diaspora.
Mirela Mezani is a founder with a vision of bringing women's issues in the Albanian Diaspora across the world. But before this vision expanded, she was a mother with an 11-year-old daughter finding herself at a crossroads, starting a new journey in Switzerland at the age of 42 having never lived abroad.
Making a bold move and starting a new chapter with nothing but belief.
"As a mother, I wanted my daughter to grow up in safety, free from discrimination and with equal opportunities. As a professional, I had to adapt my qualifications and rebuild my career in a new labour market. As a former entrepreneur, I also wanted to find new opportunities to start again. I soon realized that no woman should have to face these challenges alone," says Mezani.
She created Women Alb World to follow those values and the vision that no woman deserves to navigate change alone, and with the belief that by building networks, sharing experience, respecting the law, promoting professionalism and supporting one another, Albanian women everywhere can become stronger, more independent and better connected.
Bringing the Dialogue to Canada
The organization brought more than an event to Toronto, its first in Canada. It brought an open dialogue about the challenges currently facing Albanian women in the diaspora.
Mezani says the challenges vary depending on the country they live in, but some of the key issues they have identified include:
Peace and Security
Protection from Violence
Education and Integration
Entrepreneurship
Mezani says violence against women remains a global issue, and Albanian women in the diaspora are no exception. She adds that many women possess valuable talents - from cooking and crafts to professional services. Turning those talents into businesses strengthens their economic independence and empowers them to become leaders within their families and communities.
The vision is to empower women to sustain an independent life by combining their rights, freedom and protection while using their skills for successful integration and equal participation in society.
Community and Diplomatic Support
Supported by the Embassy of Albania to Canada, the event opened with a special video greeting by Albania's Ambassador to Canada, Artemis Malo. It was held at the Consulate General of the Republic of Kosovo in Toronto with the support of Consul Kadri Kadaj and his team.
The event in Toronto brought together women from the Albanian diaspora, including community leaders, authors, legal experts and professionals from many fields.
"We believe this event achieved far more than simply bringing people together. Although we did not have a local coordinator or an International Board member based in Toronto, we successfully organized an event that generated significant interest within the Albanian community and created new opportunities for collaboration," says Mezani.
Why Canada?
We asked Mezani, why Canada?
"Our next strategic step was North America. Canada became our natural choice thanks in part to the experience of our Secretary General, Elia Resuli, who completed an academic exchange between the University of Geneva and the University of Ottawa, followed by an internship at the Embassy of the Republic of Albania in Canada. Through this experience, she built valuable connections with Albanian communities and diplomatic missions. That gave us confidence that Canada was the right place to establish WAW's North American network," she says.
Mezani says they plan to return to Canada to further expand dialogue with the communities here.
"In fact, immediately after the event we received invitations from the Consulate of Kosovo, the Embassy of the Republic of Albania and members of the Albanian business community in Canada to return with an even larger initiative."
Writer: Arta Rexhepi
An Albanian-Canadian journalist, writer, and storyteller. Arta’s professional experience includes CBC, CTV Atlantic, and CTV News Channel as a national writer,